There is a great need and scope for
value addition in floriculture products through processing, packaging and supply
chain management. This would increase the farm income, generate employment
opportunities and help to reduce poverty. Value addition in floriculture can
thus be used as a poverty alleviation measure. Floriculture is a culture: a
lifestyle that demands commitment. Working in floriculture is beneficial;
however, a successful operation is needed much more. It requires a good deal of
highly specialized knowledge and appropriate skills as the floriculture industry
is highly technical and scientific and is labour intensive. Good management
skills are necessary for running this business efficiently and profitably.

Floriculture has emerged as a major
diversification option in agri-business in recent years. The product-wise
groupings in floriculture are cut flower (fresh), bulbs and tubes, live potted
plants, dried plants, dried flowers etc. The position of floriculture in
Pakistan has not been very encouraging, however, the trend and popularity for
floricultural products is rapidly increasing and prospects for expansion of this
business are very good, bright and lucrative. Floriculture is likely to be one
of the most successful components of the presently expanding and intensifying
horticultural industry.

Like any other business to survive and
flourish, floriculture must make profits. Pre-planning is always required for
starting any business. Thus a considerable time and study before making a
business decision on the "top of crop" and "location" is
necessary. The consumption is getting diversified towards value added floral
products, including essences, perfumes and other by-products prepared from
flowers. It is essential for production to respond to these shifts in
consumption. The floral processing industry holds considerable potential in this
regard to emerge as main driver of diversification of agriculture a real success
like our Green Revolution, involving supply of inputs in a well organized and
coordinated manner, acquisition and application of the modern and progressive
technologies, improved seeds and extension of credit. There is naturally a need
for the creation of smaller packages for value addition in floriculture. The
department of Floriculture Punjab has started training programmes for public
awareness since 1987 for the promotion of floriculture.

They have been providing advisory
services free of cost in Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore. These training programmes are:

i) one
year training ii) three months training for those in service and

iii)
one year of supervisory level course.

The basic education for the trainees
for supervisory level course is F.Sc.-Pre-medical with Botany as compulsory
subject. This course facilitates the trainees to get an employment in
supervisory category in horticulture in government/semi-government departments
and private concerns. This course usually starts in September. Three months
training course is availed by officials/workers in nurseries, different
departments and private concerns. Educated people fond of gardening also study
this course to boost their home and lawn gardens. This course starts in June and
October every year. All these courses are also meant to enable ladies to take
care of domestic floriculture, landscaping and kitchen gardening.

Research is also going on to increase
the age of freshness, colour and fragrance of flowers. Five agri-production and
dissemination centres have been established in Islamabad on the following six
species of flowers: Gladiolus, Cut Rose Gerber, Carnation, Chrysanthemum and
Tube Rose.

Places most suitable for floriculture
are Murree, Fort Monro (D.G. Khan) and Sawan Valley (Sargodha). A suitable
temperature for that purpose is 8-28 degrees. Well known flower gardens in
Lahore are Gulshan-e-Fatima (Bagh-e-Jinnah) and Beri Garden near Alhamra Centre.

Horticulture Society of Pakistan and
other flower fans hold exhibitions from time to time, wherein national and
international flower farmers, fans and facilitators take part with great
enthusiasm and interest. .

ROSES:
Roses are one of the most popular groups of ornamental plants having a long
history and are among the most economically important ornamental crops
through-out the world. Rose has been a companion of mankind since ancient times,
mainly for the rose fragrance, as also for rose oil and rose water and for
cosmetic and medical purposes. For value added rose products to be commercially
successful, it is recommended that rose products should be able to fulfill gap
in the market. Adding value also adds to the cost of production but careful
planning and test marketing can successfully increase the net cash return to a
small scale enterprise. Value addition ensures high premium to the growers,
while providing more acceptable quality products for the domestic and export
market, and it provides the most important aspects of marketing and give the
customer a reason to buy these products. Export of value added rose products,
e.g. rose oil (extracted in small units set up in a production zone) - rather
than the raw material like rose petals, can help generate revenue in
international market

USES & BENEFITS: Rose
water is an important rose product. The uses of rose waster are varied and
numerous. More recently it has been introduced as a skin toner and many people
use it in aromatherapy. As it is considered to have anti-bacterial and
antiseptic properties, it is frequently used in making hand wash and mouth wash.

In Iran rose water is used for wide
range ailments. It is often drunk after meal to boost the digestive system. The
effects of rose water on the digestive system are detoxifying, anti-inflammatory
and strengthening. It can be used to treat constipation and nausea and is also
considered to have a tonic effect on the liver and gall bladder. Rose water can
also benefit the respiratory system and can be useful in treating coughs and
allergy-related respiratory complaints. Dry rose petals can actually be drunk as
tea imparting a feeling of well being, calming the nerves and settling the
stomach.

ROSE OIL: When
the rose is distilled, it produces a supremely wonderful essential oil known as
Attar of rose or Otto. The total oil production of Rose Otto and Absolute in the
world is estimated to be 17 tons only. The quality criteria for the market are
critical when producing an essential oil. A commercial sample is needed to test
the market and value opportunities for sale and to ensure that the oil meets the
market standard. Primarily, evaluation of rose oil and Otto for test and
confirmation of its acceptability of the market is needed.

It takes about 1,000 grams of rose
petals to create only 0.1 gram of essential oil of Rose. Rose oil is extensively
used in the perfume industry. It is also used in the manufacture of toiletries
and cosmetics and at times as a flavouring agent. Rose oil is a pleasant and
safe oil to be used in aromatherapy and is suitable for a variety of uses. It is
expensive; however, its strength ensures that one or two drops added to a blend
will transform it. Rose oil is beneficial to use in times of stress and will
bring relief for many stress-related conditions.

At present four different rose species
are being used to make rose products, which include rose damacena, rose
centifolia, rose barboniana, Gruz-n-tapliz. Out of these species, rose damacena
produces premium quality oil; however, the only handicap is that production of
flowers is for a very short period.

MOUTH WASH: Possessing
antiseptic quality rose based mouthwash helps in hygiene and bad odour. A few
drops diluted in a tumbler of warm water can provide a refreshing mouthwash.

ROSE CREAMS: It
is made from the oil of Rosa centifolia and it has soothing effect on skin burn
and cuts. It moistens the skin in dry weather and keeps it nourishing.

POTPOURRI:
These days the art of preserving the beauty, colour and fragrance of roses has
many forms including dried rose blossoms used in wreaths or unusual table
decorations to the creation of rose potpourris.

ROSE JAM AND MARMALADE: In
ordinary parlance rose jam is known as Gulkand, which is traditionally used as a
cooling tonic to beat fatigue, lethargy, muscular aches, biliousness, itching
etc. It has been found highly useful in problems relating to heavy menstrual
discharge and white discharge in women. It has beneficial effect on intestines,
improving digestion and metabolism. This also helps in removing pimples. For
children having worms in intestines, Gulkand can destroy the worms in a
fortnight and it helps reducing hyperacidity.

EXPORT OF FLORICULTURAL PRODUCTS: World
trade of flowers and ornamentals has touched 50 billion dollars while export is
around 10 billion dollars excluding essential oils. The share of cut flowers is
50 percent in the export value, whereas 41 percent is by plants and cut foliage
and 9 percent by bulbs.

The Netherlands's share among the nine
top exporting cut flower countries is 58 percent while Colombia Ecuador, Kenya
and Thailand all combined make 24 percent of the export value. Pakistan exported
to Bangladesh rose worth $115 million in fiscal year 2003, worth $195 in 2004
and worth $206 million in 2005.

Professor Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, UAF
Vice Chancellor while addressing the participants of one-day workshop on
Floriculture and Landscape Management organized by the Institute of Horticulture
Sciences (HIS) in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC)
Islamabad, maintained that Pakistan has great potentials and diversified
climatic conditions, however, it is not exploiting its potentials to achieve its
due share in the international export of floriculture products. He expressed
that the importing countries like U.K., Germany and USA are enjoying major share
in Worldwide Floriculture imports. He said that the trade in ornamentals is
rising by 10 percent annually. He expressed his concern over the lowest
productivity of cut flowers in Pakistan.

It was reiterated in the workshop that
considering that the floriculture is and will continue to be a lucrative
business the government needs to consolidate its position in the commercial
floricultural products. Concerted efforts on the part of the planners and policy
makers as well as producers are needed to achieve this goal. Institute of
Horticultural Sciences University of Agriculture, Faisalabad is concentrating on
development of floriculture as an industry in the country. A major mandate of
this institute as informed by the authorities of the institute is the transfer
of technologies through on-farm demonstrations and training. As planned by them,
the extension service network of the agricultural university and agricultural
research stations in the region could also be harnessed for bringing about this
transfer.